Our original plan (with our vet) was to wait until this fall to test Snow for Cushing's Disease because the test would be more accurate. However, despite the diet change, supplements, restricted pasture access and constant monitoring, Snow has continued to have Cushing-type symptom issues, including increased hoof tenderness.
(If you're jumping in now and don't know the back story, we found our 30+ yr old miniature horse Snow having a seizure in her stall in July. You can read about it here.)
We have been consulting constantly with our vet through the whole ordeal and we made the joint decision that we should go ahead and test her as soon as possible as well as x-ray her hooves to look for the beginnings of any rotation. Of course we have Hurricane Hermine moving in on us, but Dr. White was determined to get this done sooner rather than later so we can start treating her with the medication she needs if she is positive.
[caption id="attachment_2071" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Snow up on blocks. We actually had her up twice this high at one point, but did not get a photo.[/caption]
Snow... oh little Snow. She's such a rock star (and Dr. White thinks so too!) We didn't even have to sedate her for the xrays. Little Snow let us put her up on blocks like a circus pony and shoot xrays from all directions while she just stood there. And yawned. At one point, with her front two hooves up on blocks, Snow let us move her whole back end over several steps and she never once attempted to step down off the blocks. We took xrays for probably a good half an hour, changing directions and views an trying to get the shots you would typically get in bigger horses but scaled way down to mini size (which, as I learned, is quite tricky). But Snow stood there patiently the whole time.
We hope to have the Cushing's results next week. The xrays will be reviewed and copies will be shared with our farrier, both for coming up with a comfort plan as well as to have on hand if and when we need to compare them to future xrays, should we need to.
(If you're jumping in now and don't know the back story, we found our 30+ yr old miniature horse Snow having a seizure in her stall in July. You can read about it here.)
We have been consulting constantly with our vet through the whole ordeal and we made the joint decision that we should go ahead and test her as soon as possible as well as x-ray her hooves to look for the beginnings of any rotation. Of course we have Hurricane Hermine moving in on us, but Dr. White was determined to get this done sooner rather than later so we can start treating her with the medication she needs if she is positive.
[caption id="attachment_2071" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Snow up on blocks. We actually had her up twice this high at one point, but did not get a photo.[/caption]Snow... oh little Snow. She's such a rock star (and Dr. White thinks so too!) We didn't even have to sedate her for the xrays. Little Snow let us put her up on blocks like a circus pony and shoot xrays from all directions while she just stood there. And yawned. At one point, with her front two hooves up on blocks, Snow let us move her whole back end over several steps and she never once attempted to step down off the blocks. We took xrays for probably a good half an hour, changing directions and views an trying to get the shots you would typically get in bigger horses but scaled way down to mini size (which, as I learned, is quite tricky). But Snow stood there patiently the whole time.
We hope to have the Cushing's results next week. The xrays will be reviewed and copies will be shared with our farrier, both for coming up with a comfort plan as well as to have on hand if and when we need to compare them to future xrays, should we need to.
Sweet girl...she feels your love and knows you are trying to help her feel better.
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